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Don Nehlen and Bob Pruett will help Westbrook Health Services celebrate its 70th anniversary at a fundraiser dinner from 6-9 p.m. Feb 7 at Grand Pointe Conference Center in Vienna.
Nehlen, former West Virginia University football coach, and Pruett, former Marshall University football coach, are discussing the opioid crisis in West Virginia at events in the state.
Proceeds from the dinner will go toward Westbrook's substance use disorder programs and the addiction treatment facility set to open later this year in Parkersburg.
Westbrook Health Services has purchased four of the five buildings in the Parkersburg Medical Park, 2601 Dudley Ave., to create a 24-bed residential substance abuse treatment facility, said Kevin Trippett, president and chief executive officer of Westbrook Health Services Inc.
Westbrook is using the $1 million from the Ryan Brown Addiction Prevention and Recovery Fund awarded in December 2017 to purchase and renovate the Dudley Avenue buildings.
Renovations will begin as leases expire on the buildings, Trippett said. Architectural drawings are being developed by Pickering Associates and then bids will be sought for the construction.
Westbrook hopes to have some of the treatment services available at the Dudley Avenue site by the end of spring or early summer.
Westbrook now operates a short-term 10-bed crisis stabilization unit on Seventh Street in Parkersburg and short-term residential centers, with a total of 30 beds, at three locations in Parkersburg.
The residential centers provide a safe, sober environment to help people work on their living skills before returning to society, Trippett said.
Westbrook recently received federal funds through the state to help with substance abuse prevention efforts. Proceeds from the February dinner will be used to enhance substance abuse treatment services at the new Dudley Avenue facility, Trippett said.
Pruett and Nehlen said they are looking forward to speaking and taking questions from the audience at the fundraising dinner at Grand Pointe.
The two former coaches speak to children across the state about the importance of staying in school and striving to fulfill their dreams.
Through his school visits, Pruett said he has learned that an alarming number of West Virginia schoolchildren are being raised by adults other than their parents or by just one parent. Many of these cases involving young children are caused by drug abuse in the families, he said.
Pruett described the number of drug abuse cases in West Virginia as "staggering."
"The state of West Virginia has given us so much," Pruett said. "We want to give back … one person or group or town at a time. We are trying to help combat the drug epidemic everywhere."
Nehlen tells West Virginia children they are fortunate to be Americans, they can be anything they want to be, they should stay in school and get involved in sports, band or other positive activities.
"We both love the state. We are little ole ambassadors for West Virginia," Nehlen said.
At the dinner, guests will hear personal stories from those affected by addiction, discover Westbrook's history in serving the Mid-Ohio Valley, and learn about the nonprofit organization's future plans for growth.
Tickets must be purchased in advance by Jan. 28, online at westbrookhealth.org or by calling 304-485-1721 ext. 214. Tickets are $60 each with discounts available for pairs.
Various sponsorship levels can be purchased that include a meet and greet with the two former coaches one hour before the event.
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There are no plans to repair or rebuild the Interstate 77 northbound rest area building near Mineral Wells, a Division of Highways official said Wednesday.
The rest area in Wood County was closed after a motorist crashed his van through the building in December 2017.
The Mid-Ohio Valley might get a new rest area along I-77 at Fairplain, Jackson County, although plans have not been finalized, said Jacob Bumgarner, director of the DOH's maintenance division. Land has been purchased in Fairplain for a possible rest area.
DOH officials have determined it would cost too much money to repair the northbound rest area building at Mineral Wells.
The southbound rest area, with restrooms, vending machines and information racks, along I-77 at Mineral Wells remains open.
Bumgarner points out that the Welcome Center at Williamstown, 15 miles north of Mineral Wells, is accessible from both the northbound and southbound lanes of I-77.
Contact Paul LaPann at plapann@newsandsentinel.com